Clay has grown leaps and bounds since I first saw him well over a year ago. Not only physically, but in capabilities as a gunslinger and leader as well. Clay has persistently pursued every opportunity to get better and show his skills, making it to every Next combine or camp over the past two offseasons. Even when Clay was one of the smaller QBs at the camps early on, he showed resilience and eagerness to compete with the best that the combines had to offer.

This offseason, Clay has been making his presence known. A QB with a lot of poise in the pocket and an increasingly stronger arm, Clay has been gaining recognition throughout the state. As he has been in attendance at some of the top private school camps this summer (Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco, St. Peter’s Prep), prominent programs are starting to see what Clay could potentially develop into. Clay has not only turned the heads of coaches and scouts at the high school level, but recently received his first D1 offer from Columbia. While Clay is heading to San Diego for the next two years, he plans on coming back to North Jersey when high school comes around.

Clay has clearly been putting in the work, adding noticeable size since the last time I saw him back in December. One of the cleanest movers at the entire event—not just in his class—Clay showed off quick reaction time, sharp footwork in the pocket, and a calm command of the field. A bona fide gunslinger with the ability to make throws from all angles, he continues to show a ton of upside as he grows into his frame and refines his game.

Displaying a strong arm and solid fundamentals, Clay Freeman already shows impressive poise beyond his years. With a high ceiling, his ability to read the field and react quickly to coverage allows him to make smart, decisive throws. Clay has shown he is able to step up confidently in the pocket, demonstrating a natural feel for pressure as it collapses around him.

Not only can he deliver passes with the perfect touch—floating it over linebackers and into his receiver’s hands securely—but he also has the ability to unleash deep throws with confidence. Fearless in stretching the field, he can outthrow coverage if a cornerback gets caught peeking in the backfield. His combination of arm strength, awareness, and accuracy makes him an exciting prospect with plenty of potential for growth.

Freeman was only Quarterback I was familiar with coming into the tryout, and it didn’t take long for him to prove why his name was already on my radar. Out of all the QBs there, he had the most physically developed body. He was head and shoulders above the other signal callers in terms of having polished fundamentals and clearly had the strongest arm, as well. Genetics check out well here too, as his father played at Penn State and his older brother (Cole Freeman) had a great high school career at Delbarton and is now playing QB at Columbia.